Last Friday evening, 4th July, I was lucky enough to be on the guest list for Headline’s launch event for Deborah Harkness’ latest release, The Book of Life. Having read, reviewed and enjoyed the previous two instalments in the Book of Souls trilogy (A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night), I was keen to expand on the interview I did with Deborah back in 2011 just as her first novel was about to be released. While I have seen many writers I admire at literature festivals, it is not often that I get chance to properly meet them and this evening was a fantastic chance to do just that.

The venue was the rather swanky RI Bar in London’s Mayfair, and the evening was buzzing with bloggers, writers, readers and publishers of all varieties, keen to get their hands on the eagerly awaited book ahead of the official launch on 15th July. Comfortable plied with champagne and canapés, we were treated to Deborah’s first UK interview and the chance to get our pre-release copies signed to us personally. The good news is that Deborah hinted that The Book of Life may not be her last book set in the magical universe she has created, the bad is that the film options that Warner Bros bought have now expired, so we are not going to see a film of Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont any time soon.

But if you will excuse me now, I have several hundred pages of novel to lose myself in – just as well that the lovely people at Headline gave us all a “stay up all night reading kit” to go with our books!